The Eye

In a statement in support of the measure, Perriello said the measure would create jobs and boost national security. "If I have to choose between protecting our nation or protecting my popularity, I will choose our great Nation every time," he said.

Perriello last year unseated Republican Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., who is weighing a rematch in a district that voted narrowly for John McCain in the 2008 presidential balloting.

Here's a look at the political standing of the other 13 Democrats the NRCC is targeting with radio advertisements and/or telephone calls. Nine of them were first elected in 2006 or 2008 to succeed Republicans.

• John Boccieri, Ohio's 16th: Boccieri last year easily beat Republican state Sen. Kirk Schuring to succeed veteran GOP Rep. Ralph M. Regula in a Canton-area district that is politically competitive on paper.

• Rick Boucher, Virginia's 9th: Boucher, who's in his 14th term representing a rural southwestern Virginia constituency, wasn't opposed by the Republicans in the 2008 election.

• Bruce Braley, Iowa's 1st: Braley succeeded a Republican in the 2006 election, but the GOP faltered in candidate recruitment ahead of a 2008 election that Braley won with 65 percent of the vote.

• Bart Gordon, Tennessee's 6th: Gordon, who's in his 13th term representing the state's midsection, didn't face Republican opposition in 2008.

• Alan Grayson, Florida's 8th: Grayson last year unseated Republican Rep. Ric Keller in an Orlando-area district that's been trending Democratic in recent years.

• Debbie Halvorson, Illinois' 11th: Halvorson trounced Republican Marty Ozinga in the 2008 election. GOP officials are promoting the candidacy of Adam Kinzinger, an Iraq war veteran.

• Baron P. Hill, Indiana's 9th: Hill won in a rare landslide in 2008, defeating Republican Mike Sodrel by nearly 20 percentage points. The two men had much closer battles in 2002, 2004 and 2006.

• Mary Jo Kilroy, Ohio's 15th: Kilroy probably will face Republican Steve Stivers, a former state senator, in a rematch of their very close 2008 race in and around Columbus.

• Betsy Markey, Colorado's 4th: Several Republicans are challenging Markey, who last year unseated Republican Rep. Marilyn N. Musgrave in an area of eastern and northern Colorado that traditionally has voted Republican.

• Ike Skelton, Missouri's 4th: Republicans would be favored to win Skelton's west-central district once the 77-year-old Armed Services Committee chairman retires from Congress.

• Vic Snyder, Arkansas' 2nd: Snyder, who represents the Little Rock area, didn't face Republican opposition in 2008.

• Zack Space, Ohio's 18th: Space, who represents a mostly rural district in eastern and south-central Ohio, was a beneficiary of lagging Republican recruitment in the 2008 election.

• Harry Teague, New Mexico's 2nd: Teague represents the largest House district in the nation whose member voted for the climate change bill. He was first elected in 2008 with 56 percent of the vote, running well ahead of Barack Obama.